It seems quite Canadian that it should be a black bear rather than a dog that our man here is so lovingly patting, and the French title--"L'Homme avec son ours" (Man with his bear)--written on the underside perfectly articulates the best friend status of this particular bear!
It's the wonderful work of Emile Bluteau (1931-?), a well known Quebecois folk artist, who began carving in the late 70s, first birds and then "the human condition in all its moods and shapes" as described by Lyle Elder, a great documenter of Canadian folk and outsider art. Bluteau primarily worked with found/scavanged materials, from wood to plastic to metal to paint, yielding unexpected choices such as the fantastic use of silver paint for that jacket. More about Bluteau and additional images of his work here.
I think this piece probably dates from the 1990s or so. It measures 7 1/4" tall x 5 3/8" long x 3 7/8" wide. Good overall condition. The nail tacking the hand to the back of the bear is not tight, but holds it in place. It is possible this was once part of a larger construction or lost a bit at the rear of the base, which is unpainted, and there is a small unpainted hole on the back of his right pant leg. The sculpture sits flat and stands straight.
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